Behind the Pendulum
by Hunter13hawkie
Summary: We know the story of ARC V, but we don't know the story about two mysterious duellists that were were found on the streets, each of them with no memories of who they are. Meet Aimi Chiaki, a lively young girl with a beautiful voice who wishes to become an Idol Duellist and meet Olmi Laburnum, a shy boy who designs Duel Monster cards and can talk with Duel Monster spirits.


This fanfic has been in works for quite a while and by now I think it's safe to finally start publishing it. I greatly thank aqua9597 for all the help and I'm looking forward to writing future chapters :D The reason why I decided to publish it right now is mostly that I really wanted to introduce you to my very own Yu-Gi-Oh! OC - Olmi Laburnum. The other OC, Aimi, belongs to aqua9597 and along the way another OC will join them (for now they are still in the developing stage). I plan to feature both Aimi and Olmi in one of my fanfics, so it would be only fair that they get a proper introduction before they show up in a different fanfic.

I did my best to incorporate them in existing ARC V canon verse (hence the title Behind the Pendulum), though I will change the ending a bit in order for my OCs to fit in the story.

Without a further ado, please enjoy the story :D

* * *

Chapter **1: Lively and Otherworldly**

Yusho was on his way home after seeing his manager. In a way he was glad that for the next couple of weeks he'll be busy with more duel shows, especially since Yuya and Yoko were currently out of the town, visiting her old motorbike gang and once they'd be back, he'll have more time with his son. Yuya will be turning eight the next year, the age when the boy will finally be able to switch his standard duelling deck for his personalized one. Even so far off, Yusho had already planned the party ahead a bit and most importunately, Yuya's own deck. He couldn't wait to see his son following his footsteps and give others his own little show.

The man couldn't help but smile at the thought, already seeing his child on the stage, when all of a sudden a loud noise filled the street he was at. Cautiously approaching the corner from where it originated, Yusho was ready to reach for his phone or even a duel disk in case it was dangerous. After all, he'd dealt with gangs and even criminals before, so he considered talking things through with whoever was causing such a racket at a pretty late hour before alerting authorities.

Though once he reached the street corner, he immediately realized it wasn't just some duellist who decided to cause trouble, but someone far different. On the ground, leaned against the wall, was a little girl with long aqua blue hair that went all the way to her back. She was around Yuya's age so, as any father would Yusho crunched down next to her to if she was alright.

"Are you lost, young lady?" Yusho asked in a playful manner, something he'd regularly use whenever he talked to children "Are your parents around?"

Only once he got close enough to see her better with the help of a flashlight from his duel disk, did he realize that the girl was not even remotely okay. The overalls and the shirt that she was wearing were tattered worse than any of Yuya's outdoor clothes (and being an energetic kid was saying something) and her hair was dirty, smelling like ashes. By now he also noticed that the girl wasn't napping but was unconscious, most likely due to the nasty wound on her head from where she was bleeding quite a lot. On top of it, her arms were heavily burnt, from her wrists and all the way to her upper arms.

Yusho didn't lose another minute. Using his duel disk he quickly called the ambulance and the fire department.

Twenty minutes later the girl was already on a stretcher, two medics taking care of her injuries while fire-fighters carefully searched for any dangerous objects or still on-going fires that might've caused the injuries to such extent. Yusho was questioned by the medics about the girl, though more than the fact that he had found her and that there was a noise, he couldn't answer. The medics thanked him for the help and just like that the girl was taken to a hospital.

Even once Yusho was back home, the image of the girl, as young as his son, covered by the nasty burns wouldn't leave his head. Just how did she get there without him noticing and what could've caused her to be burnt as terribly as that? The noise could be the reason behind it, but the dueltainer doubted he ever heard a sound even remotely similar to it. A rather mysterious girl that was... and still he was concerned for her well-being. Was she alright? Were her parents informed? They must've been worried if she would be out at night at the rather busy part of the city.

The next day, fortunately, involved him visiting nearby children's hospital as a part of his job as an entertainer. He wasn't really paid to cheer up the sick and injured kids, but he did have it scheduled between two broadcasted duels at Miami Stadium. He could check on her after his performance.

However, during his performance at the hospital's yard, he failed to spot any aqua blue hair. He asked doctors about it and soon enough he was walking towards the ward for the kids who weren't able to come. Armed with packs of candy, Yusho made sure he visited all of them, not making any exceptions. He was the dueltainer that everyone looked up to after all, so being a good role model was his utmost important priority.

At the very last room was when he finally found her. From the looks of it, she was alone in the room, no doctors, parents or any other visitors. Considering she was on a strict bed rest, Yusho was a bit surprised to find her looking through a window, her arms and forehead in bandages but otherwise looking just fine. The burnt clothes were replaced by a hospital gown and a simple blue jacket over her shoulders like a cape due to her injured arms which was yet another thing that reminded him of Yuya. Her long wavy aqua blue hair had also been properly washed and looked ten shades brighter than the mess it was a day ago.

"Young lady?" Yusho called since he forgot to read her name at the door.

"Yes?" she turned back right away, revealing her two sparkling eyes that gleamed like a mist in the morning sun. And not only had they looked nice, but there was also liveliness in them, something that a patient like her wouldn't really have after such an ordeal day before.

"I brought you some candy for faster recovery." Yusho quickly put on one of his casual smiles to cover up his staring from before.

"Really?!" her eyes became even livelier "Thank you so much, mister! I've been only getting hospital food so far! And oh gosh… It's gummy Kuribohs!"

The girl eagerly reached for a pack of gummies and despite her wounded arms, opened it by the sheer force like it was nothing. Yusho was too dumbfounded to say anything and let her eat nearly half of a pack at once before asking her more questions.

"So what's your name? A sweet young lady such as yourself should definitely have a wonderful name."

"Aimi!" she replied before stuffing another handful of gummies in her mouth.

"And your surname?" Yusho asked more out of curiosity than a habit.

"I-I…" Aimi suddenly lost the appetite for the candy "I don't…"

"You don't know what a surname is?" the man gave her a confused look.

"No… I just don't know it…" her liveliness began fading from her eyes "…or what's my address… or who my parents are…"

From that point on, Aimi just began rambling like she was lost in her own thoughts of what was going on. Yusho has dealt with children who have been through traumatic events or were mentally challenged, so he rather stayed quiet in order to keep the situation under control. Luckily he soon felt a pat on his shoulder from the doctor who came to check on Aimi. The nurses who came with the doctor went on changing the bandages all while calming her down from her weird dazzling episode, enough for the doctor to have a talk with Yusho outside of the room.

"You're Yusho Sakaki right?" despite seeing the man at the hospital before, the doctor asked just to make sure "And from what I've heard you were also the one who found Aimi."

"That's correct."

"The police are still trying to track down her parents and are going through missing children reports in order to find out who she is." the doctor nudged at the doors "Apart from her name, she couldn't tell us anything else about herself."

Only now did Yusho notice that there really was just a name written on the door and no surname. Besides the date of when she was brought in, there was a section that stated all the injuries. And one of them, in particular, fell in Yusho's eye.

 _Amnesia_

"This explains it…" Yusho sighed, feeling sorry for such a cheerful girl who had no idea of who she was or how she got injured.

"We hoped we could ask you more about her, but from what reports say you have no relation to her except for the fact that you found her."

"I wish I could help her in some way." the Dueltainer sadly remembered the moment Aimi's eyes lost all the liveliness.

"Actually, I think you can." the doctor reached for a small bag in his pocket "This was found among her clothes."

"A deck?" Yusho closely examined a bag meant for holding all the cards. The edges were burnt a bit, but all the cards were still untouchable.

"Yes, we asked her about Duel Monsters and from the looks of it she didn't know anything about the game, duel disks or even what being a duellist means. And there's more– according to one of the nurses whose husband is a Pro Duellist, this deck is far too advanced to be a simple beginner deck. Even more – LDS scanned the cards and there are no records of such archetype ever being created."

"But what can I do to help? I make kids smile with my dueltaining, so I doubt a little girl who has no idea what Duel Monsters is will remember anything if I perform before her."

"But you can reintroduce her to the card game." the doctor handed him Aimi's deck "My own children have been watching your performances since they were little and now they're one of the best students at LDS. You have the charm to inspire others to pick the cards and start duelling."

Yusho instantly remembered his own son, how Yuya would watch him ever since he opened his eyes and tried to copy his every move. As the boy would grow up, he would follow his father's footsteps in the world of the entertainment duelling, aspiring to be just like him.

The doctor was right, he could do that for Aimi. She might've forgotten all about the card game, but if she would gradually re-learn how to play it, maybe so would her memory. Without a second thought, he returned to the room, just when the nurses were done.

"Hello again miss Aimi." Yusho did his best to remain in high spirits even with someone as lost in mind as the girl before him "Do you want me to introduce you to an interesting card game?"

"Is that the game you played outside with other children? I only saw the end of it since I was sleeping, but it really looked so cool!"

"Well then, let me show you."

For the next hour of his free time before the next show, Yusho explained all the rules for Duel Monsters card game. From effect and normal monsters to special summoning types such as ritual, advanced, xyz, synchro and fusion to all kinds of traps and lastly about spells.

"This Life Magic archetype looks really beautiful, is it yours, sir?" Aimi couldn't move her eyes off the monsters that looked like a combination of spellcasters, water attribute monsters and other people in shiny costumes.

"As much as I would gladly use this wonderfully put-together deck, it is unfortunately not mine. These cards are yours."

"Mine?" Aimi blinked in confusion "But I've never played it before... at least I don't remember if I did..."

"Well if you wish to see how the duel on the stadium looks like, just turn on the tv. I'm sure you'll see me on my next performance." Yusho winked before standing up "I'll take my leave now, it was nice meeting you Miss Aimi."

"Will you come again mister Sakaki?" Aimi asked sadly since she didn't want to see him go.

"I'll make sure to." he gave her a smile before exiting.

Once he was out, the same doctor from before just finished talking with a set of parents who came to visit a child next door.

"How did it go?" the doctor asked in a concerned tone.

"She certainly was happy to learn about the game and also appeared to be more comfortable answering the questions. It was slow, but at least it's going somewhere. Do you think I could co tome visit her in the following days?"

"Normally we don't allow multiple visitations from non-family members, though for you I think we can make an exception since we still haven't track down her parents. Once we do, you'll probably need their approval… if we find them that is. From what we heard from the police, everything about this girl is a mystery."

"We,ll I'll be more than happy to visit her. She is one lively young lady and quite an interesting child to talk to."

And so Yusho made sure to visit Aimi whenever he could. Of course, he'd still pay attention to his family, talking with Yuya and Yoko through video chat system. His son was excited to tell him all about the crazy motorcycle rides Yoko's friends took them to (though he had a feeling his son left out more dangerous details), how much he enjoyed his duels that were broadcasted and that he missed him. Many times Yusho had an urge to tell them about Aimi, the girl he was teaching of how to become a duellist again, but then he remembered mutual agreement between him and Aimi's doctor to not share information about the patient who was involved in the incident that was still under investigation.

One week passed and Aimi's parents still haven't been tracked down as well as Aimi's origins. Even cities outside Maiami City and overseas had no information about a girl with Aimi's description or name. All existing card game companies denied ever creating Life Magic archetype or any cards from her deck. By now Aimi was well enough to walk around without feeling dizzy from the head injury and also had less trouble holding her cards properly. Since she was confined to her bed most of the time, she couldn't do much except for watching TV, reading Duel Monsters magazines brought by Yusho or just staring through the window, observing those few patients who were well enough, of how they played the card game using duel disks. It was rather interesting that doctors used Duel Monsters and Action Duels like a therapy for specific patients, especially the ones recovering from physical injuries to get them back in shape. Aimi wished she could have this kind of treatment, but due to her burnt arms, she was only allowed to play it in the traditional way.

"I use level 2 Lullaby Banshee tuner monster to tune level 4 Harmonize Fairy to Synchro summon level 7-!" Aimi proudly placed two cards on the duel board, fully prepared to chant the summoning of her favourite Synchro monster when she was stopped by Yusho.

"I'm afraid you can only summon level 6 synchro monsters with this combo."

"Not again..." Aimi sighed while switching level 7 Synchro monsters with level 6 one "I'll never learn..."

"At least you didn't try to summon xyz monster with Synchro summon like the last time. You're getting somewhere, so don't worry."

"But I still have so much to learn... I sorta understand Fusion and Advance summoning, but I'm still messing up at Synchro and XYZ..."

"Well most students use one or two of those summoning methods, I'm only teaching you all of them because your deck is built like that."

"Are you really sure it's mine? I like the cards but I really don't remember using them."

"You must've seen those cards at one point so the more you use them more you might learn about your lost memories."

"I wish there was some sort of school that teaches that... no offense Mr. Sakaki, your teaching methods are fun but you can only teach me for one hour the most."

"Actually, Maiami City has dozens of schools specialized in duelling. Even I teach at one." Yusho winked.

"Really?!" Aimi dropped her cards from excitement "Can I come?!"

"Well, that's something you should ask your parents first."

"But... What if they don't come..." she sadly stared off in the distance "What will happen to me if my parents never come to pick me up?"

Yusho didn't know what to say. Aimi's photos were sent to all possible newspapers and TV stations, asking everyone for any kind information about the found girl and yet still no answers. Police was still investigating the cause of her injuries, going through security footage and collecting other information with no logical results. The only possibility they had was that a duel disk malfunctioned and exploded in her arms, but this still didn't explain how she got there without Yusho noticing or how she hit her head.

Her injuries were recovering nicely and at one point the hospital would need to release her. If the parents still wouldn't come to pick her up at this point, Aimi would most likely be put into foster care or orphanage until her parents are located. Yusho really wished for a child as lively as her would get a happy life, but with her strange background, there was little to nothing that he could do to help. He even considered becoming her temporary foster parent, at least until her parents are found. Aimi's doctor admired his persistence, but even he couldn't change the rules.

"I'm sorry mister Sakaki. I know you care about Aimi, but I'm afraid it's just not possible for you to become a foster parent at such a short notice. Every foster parent has to go through tons of regulations and with a work schedule as busy as yours, it's practically impossible to pass them for you. The fact that you're even allowed to visit her on a regular basis is solely because I managed to pull some strings and don't forget you already have a child yourself."

Yusho felt an ache in his chest when thinking about Yuya again. As busy as he was with his work and volunteering, he always found some time for his family. With an additional family member, with which he knew without a doubt that Yuya would get along with, it would be much harder to organize his already busy schedule. But still... He didn't want her to end up in backwater place.

"What about a boarding school with a duelling program? She's learning nicely and the more she learns about Duel Monsters, more she might remember and maybe even get experience for a future career. Please, just don't put her in foster care or orphanage. I've been to enough of them to know how it can greatly affect children as young as her."

"Those kind of schools cost quite a lot so I doubt the city will cover it."

"What if I cover all the expenses?" Yusho blurted out, surprising the doctor.

"That... could be possible. It will require an approval of a parent or a guardian though."

"I can act as her guardian."

"Are you really sure about that Mr. Sakaki? You've known this girl for less than two weeks and you're prepared to take the whole responsibility for her? Don't get me wrong, I admire your generosity and everything you did for Aimi so far, but what you're signing up for is a great responsibility. If something would happen to her or if she gets in trouble, it could seriously damage your reputation."

"My reputation is of no concern, I'm much more worried about what happens to her."

"We should discuss this in detail then."

...

A few days later Aimi was considered well enough to leave the hospital and was more than glad to put on some normal clothes instead of the hospital gown. Once Yusho told her that she will be attending a boarding school with a duelling program for a time being, the girl hardly hid her excitement. True she was still confused about a lot of things that were going on, but the fact that she could see more of the town was that much better. On the way to the school, Aimi wouldn't move her eyes off the car's window. So many different buildings and signs related to Duel Monsters. She even saw actual duels where they used holograms and nearly fell off her seat when trying to see more.

Yusho couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm as he drove. He truly was glad that he insisted on getting her somewhere where she could practice her duelling skills and remain as lively as she was so far. Even though it was still summer break, those few teachers who were at school at all times, agreed that she can stay in the dorms until school years starts and even decided to organize some extra lesson for her so she wouldn't be that much behind other kids. From what doctors could tell she was between seven and eight years old, just the right age to start attending the third grade.

The school was roughly half of an hour away from the city centre, not that far and yet not so close. Aimi was also required to wear a school uniform of which she thought looked really cute. It was a simple dark blue plaid skirt, a plain shirt, black blazer and a tie that was the same colour as a skirt that was blended to violet colour. She even got her very own duel disk. It was a standard model in aqua blue colour just like her hair

Once they've arrived at the school, they were greeted by a female teacher who was currently there since other teachers were either on vacation or taking care of other things. The teacher in her thirties took them to the dorms first where Aimi could unpack those few belongings she had, mostly consisting of clothing and magazines provided by Yusho. The school supplies such as textbooks, pencils and P.E. clothes were already waiting for her on the desk of the room where Aimi will be staying for the following school year. The dorms were rather nice, not that much bigger from the hospital room where she was recovering, but it had a window with a nice view on the ocean and Maiami's harbour.

"Well if you are all set, let me show you the rest of the school." the teacher said once Aimi was done with checking her room.

"Okay!" Aimi grabbed her duel disk and strapped a bag with a deck around her waist.

"I'll take my leave then." Yusho made a polite bow like a gentleman.

"You're going already Mister Sakaki?" Aimi's expression saddened.

"I'm sorry, Aimi. As much as I would like to stay, I have several duels waiting for me today." he playfully ruffled her curly hair "But you can leave me a message and I'll do my best to reply to it, okay?"

Aimi had an urge to pout at that sentence, but then again she knew just how busy Yusho was with everything. She only learned of how famous he really is a few days ago when she overheard some kids and parents talking about him. Yusho Sakaki - a pioneer of Dueltaining, an excellent duellist, a man who can make anyone smile… the praise about him wouldn't end due to how many people admired him. And yet he still found time to continue visiting her to teach her about Duel Monsters. She really appreciated everything that this obviously busy man did for her, so she didn't need to think twice when Yusho asked her to keep the fact that she knows him a secret.

"Your classmates might get jealous or try to use you for their own advantage if they were to know that I act as your temporary guardian. So just act as a transfer student whose caretakers live overseas and be your lively self." Yusho remembered the words he said to her once the school approved her enrolment. Yuya has been facing a lot of pressure for being a child of a celebrity already, so Yusho did his best to avoid the same issue with Aimi.

"I will come to visit from time to time, in secret of course, so you make sure you pay attention in school, alright?" Yusho ruffled her spiky bangs.

"I promise!" she instantly smiled, eager not to let her guardian down "I will get the best grades and wins in duelling!"

Yusho fixed his hat while leaving, watching the lively girl following the teacher towards the classrooms. Just as Aimi left the room, the dueltainer blinked in confusion when glancing at her. He could've imagined it, but he swore that just for a spare second, he could spot some sort of a bird on her shoulder while she murmured a quiet song to herself.

It could've been just a flash of light, but somehow he was sure it really was there.

A real Duel Monster from one of Aimi's cards.

* * *

… One Year Later …

Being a ten year old child and already preparing to take care of the major corporation one day was anything but easy for Reiji. As the son of Leo Akaba, the founder of Leo Corporation and LDS, Reiji knew he'll inherit his father's business after his father, so he made sure to start early. In fact, the boy has been considered a genius ever since he started to duel and thanks to his swift learning skills, Reiji quickly succeeded in many courses, including business management. Despite being made to learn all of those skills at such a young age, Reiji actually found them rather interesting and would look at them like a challenge he was determined to win.

Yet still, late business school lectures, something that mostly high schoolers and college students would take, always worn him down. His day already started with advanced online school lessons, followed by practical work at LDS and now the lectures completed his never ending routine of studying. He was on the way home which was ironically on the top of LDS building. His father always chose work anyway so he may as well live near it and he would most likely follow him soon enough. Reiji hoped he would get to see him before bed since the following day will be pretty much the same, before his father would lock himself in the office again. For a while now, Leo would often be there, working on some sort of a project of his that he wouldn't' talk about even if he was asked about it.

Reiji thought about everything he was supposed to do before bed in order to be properly prepared for the next day. Any chance his estranged father will join him for dinner was less than likely since that project was pretty much the only thing that he cared about at the moment. The whole work obsession thing was enough to drive his mother crazy to the point of moving overseas where she could have a break from Leo. Reiji knew the two of them had problems but as the ten year old he couldn't do much so he just let the two adults do whatever hell they wanted. It wasn't really his problem if they didn't get along.

The future heir to LDS corporation was about to turn towards the alley where the shortcut to his home was, when a strange light sparked his interest. It came out of literally nowhere and from what Reiji knew there was no way it was a normal one. That alley was always in darkness since all shiny neon signs with commercials for LDS Corporation and Duel Schools were high above the streets while the narrow space only had a few trashcans since no one really came here other than him and few LDS staff members. Everyone else just used the main entrance. So who could be there at such a late hour?

Suspecting it could be a dumped, still-working Duel Disk or even a piece of a fallen neon sign, Reiji approached it with caution. A dumpster blocked him from seeing whatever the illuminating thing was, so as carefully as he could Reiji looked behind it.

Not dumped electronics, not a neon sign, not even an object.

A boy.

A young boy seemingly a couple of years younger than him was lying there with eyes closed like he was merely sleeping there. He was wrapped in a bright orange blanket that was giving away that strange light that Reiji saw while a dark beanie covered up his head. Confused of why a kid like him decided to camp out in the street, let alone in the middle of Maiami city center, Reiji crunched down to shake the boy awake.

"Hey, are you okay? Why are you sleeping here?"

The boy wouldn't reply so Reiji reached for his Duel Disk to contact police. He didn't believe the boy was a criminal, but he couldn't just leave him lying there, hence maybe he was a runaway or got into some sort of trouble and authorities would be able to help much more than he would. Duel Disk was already ringing to emergency call button and the voice was asking for information when Reiji lifted the glowing blanket a bit.

The shock made him nearly drop the Duel Disk out of his hand.

Blood.

And lots of it.

It was everywhere, on the boy's chest, arms, and legs… even his beanie and practically every piece of clothing was soaked by a crimson liquid. Completely terrified, Reiji outstretched his shaky hand to check for the pulse to see if the boy was even alive. Before he could touch his neck, the boy suddenly started coughing violently, his torso twisting and turning like a dysfunctional robot.

"Hello? What's your emergency?" the voice on the other side asked in a concerned tone.

"Th-there's an i-injured boy at the street west from the LDS tower!" Reiji shouted once he realized someone picked up.

"How injured?"

"Badly!" Reiji grabbed onto the boy's shoulders so he would stop hitting the wall with his head "He has some sort of seizure!"

The young heir to LDS Corporation couldn't say more since the Duel Disk fell off his hand while keeping the boy stranded on the ground. Fortunately, LDS had its own medic team so help arrived only minutes later and by that time the boy calmed down, falling unconscious to whatever made him react this way. Reiji was relieved to see that since the whole scene was both scary and illogical. He'd seen epileptic seizures in person before and those certainly didn't look anything like that, let alone from someone who looked like he was dipped in a pool of blood.

Speaking of blood… where was he bleeding from anyway? Reiji failed to see any open wounds apart from the torn pieces of clothes. There was no blood on the ground either… like literally no blood, not even a tiny puddle of it. The clothes were the only bloody thing in sight… and a small rectangle object that he knew well.

A deck bag.

Unlike the rest of the boy's clothing, the bag wasn't that damaged and the cards inside were surprisingly spotless. He was about to check them when the sound of a smaller ambulance van let him know the help arrived. The paramedics had a stretcher already prepared and for the next ten minutes they were busy with the injured boy. The gas mask was placed over his mouth, his body was thoroughly checked for injuries and overall the paramedics just tried to figure out what exactly caused him to lose so much blood.

Once the boy was loaded in an ambulance and ready to be transported to the nearest medical facility, which was LDS's own care ward, one of the paramedics offered to drive Reiji to LDS building as well. All staff members of LDS Corporation knew the face of Leo Akaba's son after all and were well informed that Reiji practically lived in the main building. The silver haired boy thanked for the offer but rather preferred to walk there since he didn't want to hinder them. The medics understood and once the injured kid was properly secured in case the seizures would repeat, they left.

The whole scene went back to the way it was before, just him alone in the street walking home. There was only one difference. He was holding onto a deck bag full of cards belonging to the mysterious boy who appeared out of nowhere and the glowing blanket he was wrapped with disappeared the moment the paramedics arrived.

Just what was going on?

…

He was back at a fancy apartment where he lived with his father. Judging from the working dish-washing machine and the door to his father's private study locked, Leo Akaba was done with dinner so any chance for a brief family life was gone. Sighing Reiji put down his school bag and continued with his usual evening routine just like he did every single day.

Only once he was in his own pyjamas and ready for bed did he pick up the mysterious deck. Just like any other well-constructed deck, this one was built up of forty cards, consisting of monsters, spells and traps. But more Reiji looked at the cards, more he failed to recognize them. As a skilled duellist he knew the majority of cards that beginners and experts used, not to mention LDS was one of the most powerful Duel Schools in Maiami City and as its future president, Reiji was expected to know every card.

"Dream-Mon?" Reiji was puzzled by the archetype he didn't know.

Even online sources and LDS' own data base had no records on these cards, so they must've not been registered yet, right? Wrong. The cards worked without a problem when he put them on his Duel Disk. The device even picked on the stats of the cards and strategy recommendations, something that it only did for cards that had been in use for a while.

Reiji sighed as he lay down, leaving the deck on the nightstand. He'll have someone from LDS card production examine them tomorrow. He was far too tired to deal with something like this at such a late hour.

And yet the next day the mysterious boy and his deck was the only thing on his mind. He couldn't focus properly until he had practical work at LDS the next day. The employee in charge of card production gave him a confused look when he showed up, but took the cards for examination regardless.

"I don't recall such archetype existing... Say where did you get these?" the employee eyed the cards.

"They were next to the boy that was found near LDS building yesterday." Reiji replied.

"The kid in the medical ward?"

"Yes." the future LDS president replied non-chantingly "He's still here?"

"I've heard a couple of people discussing about him this morning. Apparently, he is still too weak to be moved to a hospital so doctors were called instead."

"I see..."

Reiji was a bit surprised to learn that the boy wasn't in an actual hospital considering how terrible his injuries looked like. Not that LDS' medical team or its ward were bad or anything, it's just that it was meant more for action duelling injuries. Were they really that bad that the kid couldn't be transported? The curiosity was getting the best of him and before he knew it he was heading towards the medical ward instead of the dining hall for a lunch break.

Reiji was a bit reluctant to enter the room, but the moment he saw the same boy there he rushed to his side. With his bloodied beanie gone and hair properly washed up, Reiji could see that the boy's hair was blond with a few light green highlights on his bangs. He looked so tiny and fragile, like a small doll and the pale, sickly looking skin only emphasized it. His face was partially covered up with an oxygen mask and numerous wires were attached to his forehead, his index finger and chest while his arm was hooked onto IV that had a transparent liquid dripping into him. Completely opposite of how Reiji found him, bloodied and coughing like asthmatic, the boy was now resting peacefully, his chest moving steadily as the machines next to him beeped quietly.

"Is he really going to be alright? There was so much blood." Reiji asked the doctor who was going through some paperwork next to him.

"We don't know how but the blood on the clothes was over one year old, so the only thing that was really wrong with him was the fact that he was exhausted, malnourished and lacked vitamins." the doctor replied once recognizing Leo Akaba's son.

"Isn't that more common with coma patients?"

"I'm surprised you know about it and yes, that's currently what police is trying to find out. They still have a lot to research before they'll be sure what happened."

"Police is investigating?"

"Considering it could be a result of a criminal act, yes the police is currently trying to find out how the boy could obtain such injuries. From what I've heard you're the one who found him?"

Reiji nodded, not looking away from the sleeping boy.

"Then you're officially a witness so expect a visit from police who will come to collect your statement." the doctor checked over the machines one more time before leaving the room "He is stable for now, but there's no telling when he will wake up if he was in coma for a year."

The silver haired boy just stared at the mysterious boy, thinking about the unknown deck that the boy had with him or what could possibly cause him to fall in coma for a year. He had so many questions to ask, but he knew well that he won't be getting answers any time soon.

He was about to leave as well when all of a sudden, the machines started beeping more intensely. Carefully, Reiji approached the bed again, reaching for emergency call button in case the situation would worsen. The boy was still sleeping, but unlike before his fingers and eyelids were twitching. Reiji pressed the call button just in case the doctor wasn't aware of the change in boy's condition.

Then the boy's eyes opened.

His eyes were azure, just like the colour of the Maiaimi's sea and they were nervously looking around. Reiji approached him with caution, whispering quietly that everything is fine. The boy gasped at his surroundings, clearly puzzled about where he was or what happened to him.

"It's okay, you don't need to panic. You're in LDS' medical ward where you were brought after I had found you next to the LDS building." Reiji explained which made the boy ease a bit "My name is Reiji, I'm the son of LDS' president."

The boy was still looking around, noticing the LDS' initials at many parts of the room. The beeping went on less intensely and his breathing also calmed down. Poor guy must've been really scared to wake up in such place. Reiji was going to tell him more when the doctor was back and his cell phone started buzzling that his next lesson will be starting soon. Just before he left, he noticed those azure eyes still watching him even once he was at the doors.

And just for that single moment, those eyes reminded Reiji of someone…

…

The lessons took forever again and no matter how much he tried to focus, Reiji's mind kept swinging back and forth to the boy. Why did that boy look so familiar to him all of a sudden? He was definitely sure he didn't know anyone even remotely similar to that boy. Reiji wasn't the type of person who would get time to interact with people his age other than his classmates after all. So why him? Young Akaba couldn't take it anymore and before the lesson even ended he was already on his way out.

He firstly stopped at the card production department, finding out that the researcher couldn't get any more information about the boy's cards than he already did. Reiji thanked him anyway and headed towards the medic ward right after. It must've been hours since he was there, so the boy could recover enough to be awake. If not, he'd just leave his cards with him and come visit tomorrow.

Much to his surprise, the boy wasn't only awake but was well enough to sit, supported by two pillows behind his back. IVs were still attached to his arm as well as the wires though the oxygen mask was replaced by a tube attached underneath his nose. He still looked sickly pale, but those azure eyes were beaming at the book he was reading.

"Hi." Reiji called, hoping the boy would remember him. Instead of saying hi back, the boy flinched so intensely that he nearly fell off the bed. The silver haired luckily managed to catch him though the action only seemed to scare him more.

"I'm sorry to surprise you like that." Reiji raised both of his hands in an apologetic manner "I'm Reiji Akaba, I was here when you woke up, remember?"

The boy stared at the silver haired peer like a scanning machine, turning his head and blinking until he seemed to recognize him. He made a slight bow which was probably his version of saying hello back, though the kid still nervously fidgeted in his bed. Reiji leaned down to pick the book that the boy was reading and surprisingly it was one of those textbook guides to Duel Monsters that were meant for the introduction of the game to elementary schoolers.

"Do you like Duel Monsters?" Reiji asked while returning the book to which the boy nodded shyly.

"I thought so." young Akaba reached for the boy's cards "These are yours right?"

The blond haired boy instantly reached for the cards and once he held them in his hands, he clenched them close to his chest like they were a living being. Reiji could've even heard something that could only be described as the gentle voice that mothers make when soothing their children.

"Where did you get them? I've never heard about Dream Mon archetype before." Reiji asked once the boy seemed more relaxed.

The kid looked away, like he was thinking but not really knowing how to answer. His hands waved around a bit but that was about it. Come to think of it, the boy hasn't said a thing ever since Reiji came back. Did he even know how to talk? Or was he just so nervous that he couldn't utter a word? It could be very well possible. The kid didn't look older than seven and whatever had happened before Reiji found him must've taken a toll on him both physically and mentally.

Then Reiji spotted a notebook on the nightstand, full of notes and small sketches along with a pen right next to it. Apparently, the boy peaked on this too and he quickly took a notebook and began writing. From the looks of it, he already used it a lot since he went through a lot of pages before he found a blank one. The boy also wrote swiftly and precisely, something that was rather rare for people who just woke up from a coma. Soon enough, the boy was done and Reiji could read those few lines.

 _Hello and nice to meet you_ Mr. _Akaba._

 _I apologize for not talking. My throat hurts so I'm using this notebook to communicate._

 _Thank you for finding me. The doctors told me about you._

Reiji stared into the boy's elegant handwriting that looked almost like calligraphy than normal scribbles.

"You're welcome and you don't need to be so polite. Just call me Reiji." the young Akaba said, "Are you a duellist?"

 _Not really, but I do love the card game._

"Do you want to see my deck?" Reiji asked in hopes the boy would open up to him more.

 _Sure._

The silver haired boy fished his deck out of the pocket, the fresh smell of factory paint clearly stating he got them recently. The boy gleamed at the sight of Reiji's archetype, at the designs of armours and weapons and at the effects each card had. He was literally devouring one card after another with his eyes until he went through all forty of them.

 _This is a very well-constructed deck._

"Thank you." Reiji put the cards back into his deck bag strapped to his belt "Yours is rather impressive too, though I would add a few more monsters. You have a bit too many spells and traps."

 _I know, but I don't duel much, so it doesn't matter._

"Then you aren't a duellist?" Young Akaba raised his eyebrows.

 _No._

The blond haired boy looked away from the notebook, cradling his deck in his hands, an action that seemingly calmed him down from whatever he was so nervous about. Reiji felt like they were talking for only a few minutes but in reality, it was nearly half of an hour. Young Akaba didn't recall ever talking with anyone for so long out of pure enjoyment. This kid surely reminded him what it felt like playing Duel Monsters for fun and not a business. He only had few minutes left until the next lesson, so he moved on with the question he was supposed to ask from the start.

"I forgot to ask you about your name. That's rather rude of me." Reiji asked which made the boy reach for his notebook again.

 _That's alright._

The boy quickly wrote down his first name and after a bit of a thought, he wrote his last name as well.

 _My name is Olmi._

 _Olmi Laburnum._

Laburnum… That last name didn't ring any bells. It was rather unusual last name too since Reiji couldn't recall anyone with this surname and as a future president of LDS, he knew quite a lot of last names belonging to employees. Olmi must've been foreigner then.

"Where are you from?

Olmi blinked at that question, nervously fidgeting again but writing down the answer anyway.

 _I don't know._

"What do you mean you don't know? You must be from somewhere."

 _I can't remember._

 _When I woke up, I didn't know anything about myself. I only managed to remember my name and nothing else._

"So you have amnesia…" Reiji sighed despite knowing that temporary memory loss was a common occurrence for people who wake up from coma "How much do you remember?"

This time Olmi turned a few pages of the notebook back, probably because the doctors had already asked him the same question. There were quite a lot of sentences written one after another.

 _I know I was working on something related to Duel Monsters._

 _I rarely left that closed place._

 _Someone always observed while I was working._

 _There were cards everywhere._

 _One day there was a very strong light._

 _And then I woke up here._

 _That's all I remember besides my name._

And then the doctor was back with some nurses. Olmi put away the notebook and the rest of things so he could be checked over again. Reiji's phone buzzled to inform him about the next lesson and just like before he waved his hand to the boy who instead of staring opened his mouth and breathed a simple "bye" back.

…

This went on for the next few days as well. Reiji came to visit Olmi whenever he was at LDS during the breaks and brought him more cards that Olmi could look over. The boy eagerly examined each one of them and asked more questions using his textbook. From time to time Olmi did speak, but very quietly and slowly, probably due to not using his voice for so long. Same went for his eyes and body movement. At times he needed a while to adjust his eyes to look at cards' tiny details or he needed more time to write the sentences due to weak grip on the pencil.

But other than that the doctor assured that Olmi was on the way to recovery and was going to be released after a month or so. It was also concluded that there was no need to move him to a hospital since LDS's medical ward had all necessary equipment and medication he needed. Though one question still remained.

Who was Olmi Laburnum?

Nearly a week has passed since that day and Reiji had yet to realize just how much more time he'll soon spend with Olmi. Even though he expected them, Reiji was still a bit surprised when a couple consisting of Maiami's police officer and a social worker knocked on his doors, asking him to come with them. His father was back in his private lab and remembering the words of the doctor, Reiji followed them to an empty LDS classroom where they had enough privacy for discussion.

"You're Reiji Akaba. The son of LDS's current president, Leo Akaba. Is that correct?" the officer asked to which Reiji nodded in reply.

"According to his doctor, you were the one to find Olmi Laburnum and call for help about a week ago. Correct?" a social worker asked and the boy nodded again "Could you please write down your statement? It's for the report."

The Young Akaba did what he was told, filling in electronic device functioning as notebook about all that happened that day to the last detail. They observed him the whole time until Reiji was done, though the meeting was far from over.

"We've heard you visited Olmi multiple times. Do you know him?"

"No, the day I found him was the first time I met him."

"Did he share any other personal information with you?"

"No… he didn't talk much and he said he doesn't remember anything else."

The officer and social worker nodded and continued to fill more information into their electronic device meant for reports as they continued to ask him similar questions. Apparently, they knew even less than he did.

"Did you find out where he was from?"

"The police are checking missing person reports and foreign databases. So far no one fitting his description or name was found nor did anyone report him missing. It's still early though, those things take time."

"I see…" Reiji thoughtfully stared at the poster with LDS's curriculum "What will happen to him if no one comes for him?"

"Then he'll be either claimed by an orphanage or foster care once he is well enough."

Reiji gulped down at the thought a bit, thinking about Olmi in such environment. He hasn't ever experienced foster care system himself, but he knew several of students who came to attend those business management lessons who were raised by the system. A lot of them would describe their experiences out loud and among them were students who would use the lessons to escape from their rough situations at foster homes. To think someone as fragile and scared as Olmi could end up there… Reiji didn't know Olmi for long, but he came to care for him since he saw the bits of himself in that boy. Come to think of it… why wasn't he under police protection? Olmi wore bloodied clothes and was revealed to be in a coma for a year. What if he was actually already in the system, but was horribly mistreated by it? This would explain his fidgeting behaviour and lack of memories.

"Did you find out what happened to him?" Reiji asked, making the officials sigh.

"We are still investigating. It is difficult since we don't have much evidence or information, but we are doing our best to find out what happened to him."

"By all means, we are keeping watch over him through LDS's security staff in case he was indeed a victim of a criminal act. In the meanwhile, the doctors and forensics are gathering all possible evidence on the nine year old."

"Nine?" Young Akaba raised his eyebrows, surprised Olmi wasn't seven years old like he had originally thought. No wonder why they got along so well, they were close age-wise.

"Dental records actually show he's around nine or ten. He is below the average height though and shows signs of mistreatment."

"Our best guess is that the boy has been injured really badly a year ago, was stripped of his clothes, fell in a coma for a year, somehow recovered from his injuries, the same clothes were placed back on him and then he was dropped right next to LDS' main building."

"And after all of this, he'll still be sent to foster care?" Reiji shot his question, clearly annoyed by the lack of empathy that the officer showed when talking about the boy.

"It's too soon to decide just yet since we still need more information on him."

"But we do have a preposition for you since you seem to be close with the boy and you're partially in charge of LDS."

"Preposition?"

Then one of the officers pulled a stack of papers from his folder. Reiji thought the whole preposition was written there, however it was something completely unexpected instead. It was some kind of a poster with all of his three ace D/D/D monsters plus additional details like Overlay Units, effects of attacks and even some additional monsters they were fighting against. Before he had a chance to ask what did that had to do with anything, Reiji realized two things at once.

Firstly: that wasn't a printed poster, but a very well hand drawn artwork done entirely by a black ballpoint. Secondly: those pages were from Olmi's notebook. Reiji knew that the boy would sometimes add doddles to his written sentences to better express himself, but he never expected Olmi was that good. Hell, that drawing belonged on a Duel Monsters' promotional posters or in a magazine at least. To think a nine year old did it with only a ballpoint and days after waking up from a coma… Reiji had no words for it.

And how did he even drew his ace monsters in such perfect details? Olmi only saw those cards once. Did he have a photographic memory or something?

"Olmi Laburnum shows an outstanding talent in art. Besides this drawing, he created several others along with his original Duel Monsters designs suitable for commercial sales. "

"We also gave him several intelligence tests and he passed all of them with flying colours. His IQ is above average, really close to your own even."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"LDS has recently introduced a program that allows talented duellists to study at LiD with all expenses covered. LDS usually takes students that are at least 12, but the president Leo Akaba allowed it."

"But Olmi said he doesn't duel."

"We got that covered too." the officer set something that looked like a contract "With a special permission, students may attend all theoretical lessons and don't need to participate in the practical examination. Recently they've also started a card game design course which we believe will be perfect for someone who is interested in the game from a creator viewpoint."

"While he attends those courses, LDS takes temporary custody of him so until his guardians are located he has a place to stay. But should he break the rules or cause trouble, he will be one foot in the foster system. We've already introduced the preposition to him and he agrees to its conditions."

"I still don't understand what do I have to do with all of this?" Reiji went through the contract over and over again, looking for any kind of a hint to explain the whole situation.

The social worker reached for yet another folder that appeared to be the thickest of them all. Slowly the papers were pushed towards Reiji, who read the title with a mixture of shock and surprise.

 _Psychological report: Olmi Laburnum_

"While he shows a great deal of intellectual skills, his mental state appears to be damaged." the officer stated, "We are still waiting for detailed analysis, but it is more than clear that the kid has been through something."

"Night terrors, panic attacks, anxiety…" Reiji read the list that kept going "I-I didn't know…"

"That's where you come in." social worker pointed on the tiny text with his name "According to a psychologist, your visits improve his mental health. Many therapists and psychologists tried helping him, but in the end, you helped him out the most."

"That's why Olmi's doctor suggested you as his mentor. You won't need to take the whole responsibility as his guardian. You'll just need to guide him through LDS's school system, show him around the dorms and help him with studies for the first few weeks until he gets used to it."

"He still needs to recover from coma aftereffects though, like walking again. Until then you can help him with his studies so he can catch up with the rest of the class easier."

"I-I'll have to think about it." Reiji was still overwhelmed by all of it.

"Of course, take some time." social worker sympathetically patted his shoulder "It's a great responsibility to be a mentor to a person like Olmi. Let us know about your decision until the end of the week."

"What happens if I don't become his mentor?"

"Then another mentor will be assigned to him instead."

The sentence sounded like a final say and despite knowing there was no way back, the future LDS president took all the papers he was given and thanked the officials for the talk. But before he even got back to his apartment, he already phoned them back.

…

Reiji was on his way to the medical ward again. This time he carried something more than just a few cards and a DueLinks magazine. Armed with textbooks for Fusion and Synchro classes, a Duel Disk and Lid badge, Reiji entered the room. Olmi was sitting by the desk next to the bed, working on a drawing in precise detail using watercolours. The rest of his drawing supplies were neatly arranged on the nightstand. Surprisingly they weren't provided by LDS but through donations. While his situation wasn't broadcasted except for the found person reports, the chatter among nurses who took care of him quickly spread. A lot of employees were touched by Olmi's gentle and modest personality and once they saw his artworks they started bringing him more tools and before he knew it, Olmi had a pile of art supplies.

The boy nonetheless shyly thanked them and made a drawing for each person with the very same supplies they gave to him. If Olmi wasn't drawing or was having check-ups, then he was having mini study sessions with Reiji. Thanks to the new mentorship, Reiji had less obligatory lessons to attend to and therefore also more time to spend with Olmi. And as the antisocial smart boy that he was, he actually liked that sort of company. Even with his throat fully healed, Olmi was still a quiet person and preferred listening to Reiji rather than talking. The blond haired boy would often love to discuss Duel Monsters in details that he viewed entirely different than him and Reiji found that fascinating. Olmi happened to be a fast learner too and it was a joy to teach him stuff from advanced courses.

"Hi." Olmi smiled once he noticed the silver haired boy enter the room.

"Hello to you too." Reiji put the textbooks on the bed "Working on another original design?"

"No, it's a poster." he added more colour on the blank area "This archetype will be released next week and they wanted a good promotional poster to get card sales up."

"It looks really good. This is like your fourth or fifth commission already?"

"Seventh if you count gift cards for LDS employees and fliers for a Dueltaining event."

"In less than a month." Reiji fixed his glasses "You'll be going places."

"I prefer to stay here for now." Olmi slid back in his chair, staring at his artwork.

"You'll have to get used to the crowds one day."

"I wish I wouldn't need to leave this room."

Reiji wished he could agree with him, but he couldn't. The very first week, Reiji didn't witness much of Olmi's actual behaviour, though in the matter of a few weeks it was clear that officials weren't kidding about his mental health. On the first day, Reiji walked in Olmi having a panic attack.

Apparently, during the morning examination the doctor wanted to inject him with some vitamins and despite already getting IVs the kid panicked so bad he almost fainted. Same went for that one time that Olmi was taken around LDS building on a wheelchair so Reiji could show him around. For a while it went on alright, Olmi could see the card production area, empty classrooms and duel disk development department. But the second that the busy group of LiD students came rushing through, Olmi started shaking uncontrollably. Reiji managed to get him to the nearest empty classroom where the boy could calm down, taking deep breathes. If he were to attend such lessons… Reiji doubted Olmi would survive a single day of LiD courses. It wasn't just that he was a shut-in, he was outright terrified of the outside world.

"Actually… I talked with officials…" Olmi stopped Reiji's train of thought "And I convinced them too."

"About attending lessons?"

"Yeah… and it took me a while, but they allowed me to only take the exams. For the lessons I can basically study on my own or take online classes." the boy slowly stood up and limped back to the bed "Though I decided to do something during that time."

Olmi reached for a paper on the nightstand that Reiji failed to notice, its big letters stating it wasn't just any paper. It was a job application.

"It wasn't necessary, but the officials wanted me to do at least something if I won't be attending the lessons. So I applied for a card game designer."

"That's… quite a lot to take. Are you sure you can handle it? You're only nine."

"And you're ten and you're more than ready to take over the company." Olmi shot back which Reiji couldn't really deny.

The blond haired boy lay back in bed and covered himself with a blanket, letting out a tired sigh.

"How are your parents doing?" Olmi asked to change the topic.

"My mother is founding a new school at the other side of the world. And father… he's been locking himself in his lab more than ever. I don't even know what he's researching." Reiji took a seat on the chair next to the bed "And about you? Did you remember anything new?"

"No… I still have nothing…" Olmi picked up his deck, a habit he had whenever he was thinking about his origins "… though I feel like I've always been alone… somewhere away from all the people…"

At times Reiji was thinking about the same thing – just where was Olmi from if he was that smart, knew Duel Monsters in detail and was still acting like a frightened forest rabbit whenever he came in contact with a lot of people. And other times Reiji could swear that he heard Olmi talking with himself. Well with his cards actually. He just held them to his chest and if he wasn't mumbling to them he was telling them actual sentences. Reiji heard that certain duel schools practiced that, but he wasn't really sure what the point of it was. Those programs claimed their students were capable of talking with Duel Monster spirits and for Reiji that was a complete bogus. While Duel Monsters were inspired by an ancient game, cards were in the end just that – cards.

All the thinking about cards nearly made Reiji forgot about one more thing he brought for Olmi besides the textbooks. Luckily the mug was still warm and so was the beverage inside it.

"Here, I thought you might like some."

"Is there honey in it?" Olmi asked shyly like he was too embarrassed to ask.

"Three spoons worth of it."

Olmi carefully lifted the mug, slowly sipping on the warm drink. Out of all possible foods provided by LDS, Olmi loved honey the most. If there was honey in it, he'd be drinking or eating it. Same went for cornflakes too – no sugar, just honey. It seemed like Olmi had this thing with honeyed milk the most. By now Reiji was kinda used to Olmi's nervous behaviour but whenever he was drinking warm milk with honey, the boy looked, if only for a few minutes, completely relaxed.

"Thank you Reiji." Olmi said once his mug was empty "I really appreciate everything you did for me."

"You don't need to thank me every single day you know." Reiji said in a more annoyed tone but smiled anyway "Say why you wanted me to be your mentor?"

On the first day of him being Olmi's mentor, Reiji learned that he wasn't the first candidate for a mentor, but for some odd reason, Olmi refused anyone else to be his mentor even though other candidates had more qualifications than Reiji did.

"I don't know…" Olmi put the mug back "I just feel safe with you. And…"

The boy then looked at his cards and back at Reiji.

"…I feel like I know you from somewhere."

And for a brief moment, Reiji felt like he'd seen this boy before.

* * *

A year at the boarding school with a duelling program was anything but easy for an eight year old, but just like any challenge, Aimi tackled it with everything she had. True she wasn't really a straight A student, but she got pretty nice grades. Her duelling on the other hand was unique to say the least. There was no doubt that Yusho Sakaki influenced her enough to convince her to make a show out of her duel and makes sure everyone has a good time, even the opponent. While she tended to imitate him a lot, she came up with a lot of phrases and ideas on her own. Aimi could definitely fit in with this new life.

But still, no matter how long or how hard she tried, she couldn't remember more. The teachers and Yusho continued to play it safe with her pretending to be a student from overseas until police find out more. Even after a year later there was still no answers or clues about her origins and by now she got nearly used to her given surname. At times she thought about what would happen to her if her parents or guardians are never located. Aimi had the school for her home now, but once she graduates, what then? She had nowhere to go to after all and even though she overheard Yusho talking to someone about adopting her, she didn't want to be a burden to someone who already did so much for her.

When her school organized a tour around Miami City to see all the Duel School, she hardly hid her excitement when seeing You Show Duel School. It looked exactly like Yusho described it to her on numerous occasions and when Yusho had a duel with the co-founder Shyuzo to show how the system works, Aimi cheered the loudest among her school mates.

But she was far from the loudest one in the room.

Right there was an eight year old boy with green and red hair, jumping and cheering for his dad to make another good show.

Yuya Sakaki, the son of Yusho Sakaki.

The way Yusho smiled when he saw his son cheering for him so passionately showed just how much he cared about him and once the duel was over, Yusho lifted Yuya up in his arms, thanking him for being his little cheerleader. They looked so happy together and Aimi didn't want to ruin that. Yusho was busy enough as it was and she didn't want to steal the remaining free time he had with Yuya.

She couldn't be Aimi Sakaki, just Aimi Chiaki, like it was written on all of her legal papers.

Many of her classmates often asked her about her supposed parents who live overseas and each time she had to lie straight into their faces to keep the act going. Some classmates found it interesting, other found it boring and the majority just didn't care. It was a typical school that often got transfer students so she was nothing special. Aimi tried to befriend her classmates and to the point, she got along with them enough.

But she was never able to form any close friendships. While she could sit together with a small group of girls at the lunch table, do homework with them and occasionally duel with them during afterschool activities, Aimi wasn't able to feel it really. She couldn't talk about her dreams, she couldn't go to the school yard with them to talk and she couldn't even be her usual lively self with them. Whenever her liveliness was shown, her classmates tended to avoid her and some of them even thought something was wrong with her. Even when she wanted to use her positive attitude in order to help others it was like that person in need suddenly didn't need her help anymore.

Aimi felt trapped and not exactly knowing how she should act. Whenever Yusho came to visit she didn't dare to bring this up since she didn't want to trouble her guardian after everything he did for her. She rather used those few hours to put on a genuine smile in order to tell him about everything new she learned at school. Sometimes Yusho brought her new card packs which she opened excitedly and immediately tried out in a duel. Her duelling improved greatly in the last year and by now only XYZ was left for her to master. Aimi was in no way an exceeding duellist, but she did her best and always tried to make duelling fun for everyone.

The only person she was close with was her roommate. Aimi met her soon after the year started when she moved in. Even though she was from Miaimi City, her busy parents were never really at home so she saw no point of taking the bus every single day. Or more like a private driver. Another reason why Aimi got along with her was because classmates avoided her as well.

Masumi Kotsu was a daughter of a rich businessman who dealt with jewels after all and majority just didn't want to cause trouble by saying something wrong. She was the best in the duelling class thanks to her excellent Fusion summoning and no one dared to challenge her either. Not only Masumi would wipe the floor with whoever dared to ask her for a duel, her tongue was sharp and she never hesitated to say what was on her mind. As brutal as her honesty was, Aimi simply admired her ever since their first duel.

While Aimi never got to defeat her, she enjoyed every single duel they had, each time claiming she'll win the next time with a smile. Masumi quickly addressed her positive attitude as odd, but Aimi didn't care. She had fun with her and wanted to improve to have an even better duel with her. Over the time Masumi got used to her personality and before they knew it, they started spending their free time together talking and building their decks. Both had more differences than similarities, but again neither of them cared. Aimi wouldn't shut up about how much she loved pearls, even once Masumi said that pearls are the most worthless material for jewellery but still listened to her about them. Masumi would often honestly called Aimi on her reckless duelling and while other classmates would throw tantrums or talked back, Aimi simply listened and took her words in consideration.

"Shower is free." a voice brought her out of her deep thinking. Masumi just returned to their shared room, dressed in a blue bathrobe and drying her long black hair with a towel.

"Ah right." Aimi took a hold of her own night clothes and a towel, heading for the shower.

"Don't forget about math homework. You've been slacking off at that class lately." Masumi shot before Aimi left.

"I'll do it, okay!" Aimi pouted despite knowing her roommate was just concerned about her.

"I can check it once it's done though. Just don't work on it the whole night again." the black haired girl sighed while brushing her hair.

Aimi only smiled before leaving the room. The girl dorms had a shared bathroom, though by now it was pretty much empty since the lights out was close by. The blue haired girl hurried up, not wanting to be caught in trouble again. The moment she got in the bathroom, she quickly underdressed and hopped under the shower. At the times like these, she was completely relaxed, feeling like she was floating in a crystal clear ocean, just like a mermaid. Aimi loved water and she loved singing even more.

 _"Red and green,_

 _odd and crystal clear,_

 _dark and scary,_

 _how many dreams can you carry?_

 _Orange orbs,_

 _spikey horns,_

 _big, wide wings_

 _take flight mighty kings!"_

Aimi had no idea from where she knew that nursery rhyme, but whenever she sang it she got a nostalgic feeling in her chest. Like someone used to sing it with her. Maybe not as loud as she did and maybe not as enthusiastically. But the more she repeated it, more she could picture someone with her.

There was someone who was always there with her when she felt lonely, someone who didn't mind her lively persona.

She just couldn't remember who.

* * *

"And here's where your room is going to be."

Reiji put the box loaded with textbooks and cards on the table in one of the rooms in dorms for exchange students. Olmi did the same with another box that had all the art supplies in.

It's been months since Olmi applied for a card game designer and so far he did rather great. He started off with simple remakes, improving old designs for new releases. Then he got to design new cards for existing archetypes and soon he was working on his own original designs as well. Olmi had no problem working and studying for exams of the first semester, in fact, Reiji wasn't sure if graduating at Lid was even necessary considering how many orders he was getting at card production department already.

In the meanwhile, all of his coma aftereffects healed up as well, though at the times Reiji still advised him to take it easy since his mental health recovery was still going slow. Nonetheless, Olmi strengthened his muscles with various treatments soon and was able to walk around freely. It's been a week since he could finally leave the Medical Ward on his own and now he was getting his own room.

It was nothing special, just a standard student room with a bed, few closets and a desk. The only difference, were tools and materials he was given for the card designing, from traditional ones like sketchbooks, pencils and watercolours to advanced ones like a tablet with tons of drawing options. Olmi was also given some clothes so he wouldn't need to constantly wear hospital clothes or Reiji's old tracksuits. His preferred choice of clothing was a bright green long sleeved shirt, long white vest with a hood, baggy grey pants and medium length boots. Olmi also wore a grey beanie, not the same one he had when he was found since it was too damaged, but a very similar one that Reiji spotted in the nearby clothing store. When the silver haired gave it to him, Olmi didn't want to take it right away since he felt bad about Reiji spending money on him, but once Reiji put the beanie on his head, Olmi instantly grew to love it.

Olmi's blond locks grew rather fast too in those few months, but instead of cutting them, the young card designer rather tied them in a tiny pigtail in the back. At times he would also wear fingerless gloves for a better grip since his hands would sometimes still shake from nervousness.

"I really like it." Olmi looked around the room he could call his own.

"Your orders will turn up on the duel disk. You won't need to physically carry them to the card production department as soon as you finish, just a scan will be alright." Reiji gave him a green coloured duel disk "Cafeteria is one floor below, bathrooms are down the hallway and classrooms along with my study room are all up. If you get lost, just look for the map or use your duel disk to navigate through."

"Thank you for everything Reiji." Olmi smiled as he began arranging all the tools on the desk "Now I can start working on my very first custom made archetype."

"Is it a commission?"

"Yeah, someone wanted a custom-made deck for their kid's eight birthday. I better start sketching." the blond haired boy grabbed the nearest sketchbook and a pencil with an eraser.

"Do you have a name?"

"Yeah, right here." Olmi pressed few buttons on the duel disk to turn it on "He said his son loves performing. I wonder which themes I could use… perhaps theatre, magic tricks…. or maybe… circus."

Reiji looked at the picture that popped on the duel disk, instantly recognizing a certain black haired man with a red hat.

Olmi's very first customer for a custom-made archetype was no other than Yusho Sakaki.

That surely was a big challenge, but he was sure Olmi could do it.

* * *

 ** _Preview for chapter 2: The Voices Within Cards_**

 _Aimi realizes she can do much more with her voice than just sing, Olmi is getting used to_ work _at LDS while uncovering some of his memories and Reiji's father Leo Akaba mysteriously disappears..._

So this was the first chapter and I hope I introduced both OCs well (this is actually my very first time using OCs in a fanfic, please let me know if I did it okay!). I'll let you know when I'll finish their drawings so you can better imagine how they look like - I'll post them on my tumblr 3w-writer-with-wings .

If you have any questions about Olmi, please don't hesitate to ask, I'll do my best to explain it without spoiling the rest of the story. For Aimi, you can pm aqua9597 on . I'm also happy to say that the last chapter of Broken by Humanity, Healed by a Dragon is in final stages and if everything goes well, it should be published by the weekend. Thank you to all the readers who leave me all of your lovely comments and kudos even though I'm so hella slow with updates. I love you guys!

As usual, comments, kudos, questions, theories and anything else are all very welcome. I will be more than glad to reply on them all. Until the next time! You're all the best!


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